


A Cause for Concern

by ZDcookie_996



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Concerned Friends, Established Relationship, M/M, Portugal 2020, References to Russia 2020, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28117323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996
Summary: Charles' friends are concerned about his relationship with Louis, is there something going on?
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/Original Male Character(s), Nicholas Latifi/George Russell
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	1. Concerned Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Here is a new story where Charles is in a relationship with a man called Louis and his friends are worried about him. Charles' friends are concerned about his relationship because of things they have seen and heard so they are on a mission to determine whether or not something is going on. This is set in Portugal 2020 with references to Russia 2020. Apologies to people who are probably getting fed up with the constant Nicky/George stories I am posting but I can't help it, I love this pairing! This is due to be either 2 or 3 chapters depending on what happens so stay tuned!

As Alex left his car to head into the paddock, he couldn’t help but watch a couple up ahead. This particular couple were Charles Leclerc and his boyfriend, Louis who were walking into the paddock too alongside Andrea, Charles’ coach. Alex couldn’t help but notice that Louis was literally stuck to Charles’ side with a hand on his back. He couldn’t be sure but he thought he saw Charles try and shy away from Louis’ touch. 

It wouldn’t be the first time that Alex had caught Charles shying away from Louis’ touch either. He didn’t want to spy on his friend but he was worried about his friend. Louis had been to many races during the 2020 season. He was literally everywhere, however, which was somewhat like Tiffany and Valtteri. Alex knew that things were different though. Valtteri and Tiffany looked happy together but with Charles and Louis, something was off. Alex had noticed in the lead up to races or whenever he got the chance to speak to Charles that he barely mentioned Louis. He had also noticed Charles looking more relaxed when they had been in Sochi. Louis wasn’t there for the race as he had to work so Alex couldn’t be sure if it was to do with that or if Charles was relaxed because he was feeling confident ahead of the race. The only time that Alex could really speak to Charles was when they were in the paddock or ahead of races. There had been a few occasions where Alex had been chatting to Charles in the paddock with Louis hovering close by. It was nearly always awkward and Alex couldn’t help but feel that Louis didn’t want to be near him. Charles’ partner rarely made any effort to talk to Alex, something that the young driver had seen with even Charles’ team members. 

Alex held back as Charles, Louis and Andrea continued to make their way down the paddock. He knew he shouldn’t be judging Charles’ relationship but he was sure that the young Monegasque wasn’t entirely happy. Other drivers had noticed the way Louis would always be by Charles’ side, the way Charles would flinch and even Louis’ interactions with others. George and Lando had messaged each other many times about Louis. They had all grown a lot closer because of the pandemic as they were battling during the virtual grand prixs and playing games. 

No one asked questions about Charles and Louis. Mainly because of the reactions they would probably receive from Charles but then again, Alex was sure that if other people were observing the couple, more questions would be asked.

Alex tried to forget about Charles and Louis because it was media day and so everyone was busy. It was a little difficult when he found Louis waiting outside after he had finished with the press conference. Charles and Seb had been waiting when Alex and Max had finished so Alex knew that Louis would be waiting a while. He wasn’t sure if Tiffany ever hovered outside waiting on Valtteri when he was in the press conference but it was normal for most partners to wait in the motorhome. He greeted Louis as he passed him but the young man ignored him. It wasn’t entirely a surprise to Alex that Louis refused to say anything but some manners would’ve been nice. 

When Alex was finished with all his commitments for the day, he set about making his way back to the hotel. He found George in the paddock and decided to have a word with him about Louis. He knew that his friend was suspicious about Charles’ partner so he had no issues with raising his concerns. George was standing not that far from the Red Bull motorhome, typing on his phone as Alex made his way towards him.

“Hey.” Alex called out.

George raised his head and smiled as he saw Alex, not that his friend would see it with his mask on. He put his phone in his pocket as he rested his hands on his hips.

“Hey, finished for the day?” He asked.

“Yeah, I was just going to head to the hotel.” Replied Alex.

George frowned as his friend looked around the paddock.

“What’s up?” He questioned.

Alex looked back at him.

“Have you seen Louis in the paddock with Charles today?” He asked, curiously.

George nearly rolled his eyes.

“When is he not in the paddock, you mean. I saw them going out on their bikes towards the track. Charles was miles ahead and Louis didn’t look very impressed.” 

Alex sighed.

“I saw them this morning when I arrived at the track. Louis had his hand on Charles’ back and I’m sure he flinched, it’s not the first time I’ve seen it happen.” He said.

“We could be looking too much into this, Alex. We don’t see all the ins and outs of their relationship.” Argued George.

“Yeah but Louis was waiting outside when Max and I had finished in the press conference. Seb and Charles had just gone in so Louis was waiting on Charles again. He can wait in the motorhome, why does he have to wait outside for Charles? It’s not like he’s arriving in time for Charles finishing, he’s obviously walking with him to the press conference and is then waiting outside. He ignored me when I said hi to him. The only time I can talk to Charles is when Louis isn’t around. Anytime I talk to Charles in the paddock, Louis never speaks or if he does, he’s telling Charles to hurry up. All he does is glare at me.” Rambled Alex in frustration.

George sighed. Neither Alex nor George were fans of Louis but George wanted to give the young man the benefit of the doubt because they didn’t know what was going on behind closed doors. George was in a relationship with his teammate, Nicky. Alex could tell that they were happy together but he had some doubts when it came to Charles and Louis. It had been building for a while and the two friends weren’t sure what to do about it. They had never questioned Charles about his relationship with Louis apart from asking how they came to date and where they met. Other than that, they left Charles to it. Now Alex was beginning to wonder if they should talk to Charles.

“I think we need to speak to Charles.” Said Alex, honestly.

George looked at him with wide eyes.

“You can’t be serious.” 

“I am. We need to talk to him at some point before something happens.” Insisted Alex.

“We don’t know that anything is really going on, Alex. Maybe, Louis is a bit possessive or jealous, I mean they’ve been in a relationship for about a year now and there’s not been any major issues since they started dating.” George tried to defend.

“That’s because he wasn’t going to every race but now he’s here all the time. What about the time that Nicky said he had heard the argument between Louis and Mattia? It’s not like every driver’s partner goes onto the grid ahead of the race. I know what I’ve seen George, Charles flinches nearly everytime Louis touches him. That’s not nothing.” 

“Maybe we should wait before we say anything.” Said George, calmly.

“We’ve been watching them for ages, we can’t keep doing that. If something is going on, I want to know. Charles is our friend and I want him to be happy.” Said Alex, worriedly.

“I want him to be happy too but I don’t want to say anything if it’s going to cause problems.” Responded George, patiently.

“If we don’t say anything, Charles could get hurt.” Said Alex, annoyed.

“What do you mean Charles could get hurt?” 

Alex and George spun around abruptly when they heard the question. They were met with the concerned gaze of Pierre. It took them a moment to remember they were in the paddock and so anyone could probably hear their conversation. Pierre was glancing between Alex and George. 

“What’s going on? Why are you talking about Charles?” Questioned Pierre, suspiciously.

George looked at Alex and his friend sighed as he knew that George was hinting at him to explain what they had been talking about. 

“I think we need to have words with Charles about his relationship with Louis. They were ahead of me when I was coming into the paddock this morning and Charles tried to shy away from Louis’ touch. It’s not been the first time I’ve seen it happen.” Alex explained to Pierre.

The Frenchman was silent as he was deep in thought.

“I’ve wanted to speak to someone about Charles. I’m really worried about him.” Admitted Pierre.

George and Alex shared a look. It wasn’t the time for Alex to tell George that he was right to be concerned. They were worried about their friend and so all that mattered was that he was alright. 

“Do you think we could talk away from the paddock?” Asked Pierre.

Alex nodded and looked at George who nodded as well.

“We can meet at the hotel, maybe my room. I’ll ask Nicky to come as well, we often visit each other’s rooms when we’ve been at races.” Suggested George.

“I’ll ask Lando to meet us as well.” Alex pointed out.

Pierre frowned.

“Why Lando and Nicky?” He asked.

He knew that George and Nicky were together but he had no idea why George would be inviting his boyfriend to talk with them.

“Lando is worried about Charles too. Nicky is George’s boyfriend and also he’s seen some things in the paddock.” Alex told Pierre.

The Frenchman just tilted his head.

“How are we supposed to get away from our coaches? We’re not really meant to be in each other’s company” He asked.

Alex sighed.

“Make something up, I don’t know. Tell Pyry it’s important but don’t mention Charles’ name in case there’s nothing going on. We don’t need other people talking about this.” He said.

Pierre nodded and turned to George.

“What’s your room number?”

“36.”

“Will we meet at 8?” 

Both George and Alex nodded. Pierre sighed and then walked along the paddock as he headed to the car park. Alex and George shared another look before Alex turned to leave too.

“I’ll see you at the hotel.” 

“See you later.”

Alex left the paddock as George waited for Aleix.

Nicky and Lando had agreed to meet the three drivers when they heard it was about Charles. The only problem that they all found was trying to get away from their coaches without mentioning any other driver, especially Charles. It was tough for George because he had suggested meeting in his room. Aleix wasn’t entirely impressed when George said he would have to leave the room.

“I’m sorry, Aleix, but this is really important, it’s concerning another driver. I’ll tell you what’s going depending on the circumstances but we’re not just doing this for fun, it’s serious. If anyone asks questions, you can blame me, I’ll take full responsibility. I just need an hour or something.”

Aleix just stared at George but he could tell that the young driver was being serious and he wouldn’t break the rules unless it were absolutely necessary. He had been sharing a hotel room with George at the hotels so that no one would find out about George and Nicky’s relationship. Aleix and Nicky’s coach, Fergus, knew about the relationship but only a handful of people knew. George didn’t really want Aleix to be present even though he knew his coach wouldn’t say anything. Eventually, Aleix decided that he would go out for a walk and would facetime his family but he would only be gone for an hour. George knew that they probably wouldn’t be talking for that period of time but he had no idea what they were going to be discussing. He just knew that the topic of conversation would be Charles and Louis’ relationship.

Thankfully, all the other drivers managed to find a way of leaving their room and their coaches in order to head to George’s room. Nicky arrived early whilst Alex, Lando and Pierre arrived a couple of minutes within each other so no one would spot them in the corridor. George and Nicky were sitting on the brunette’s bed whilst Lando and Alex sat on Aleix’s bed as they were both single beds. Pierre was sitting in the chair by the table, turning it around so that he was facing the other drivers. They sat silently for a minute until Alex cleared his throat.

“So we all know why we’re here.” He began.

Lando nearly rolled his eyes.

“Well, all you said in your message was that we had to meet to talk about Charles, that’s not really anything to go on.” He said.

“I meant Charles and Louis’ relationship.” Alex elaborated.

The room fell silent again until Pierre spoke up.

“You know, Alex, just because we’re not big fan of Louis, doesn’t mean that something is going on. All I’m saying is that if you really want to talk to Charles, you need to have some concrete evidence that something is going on.” 

Lando’s eyes widened.

“What do you want to talk to Charles about?” 

“I want to know if he’s happy with Louis. Everytime I see them together, Louis never gives Charles any space and Charles almost always flinches whenever Louis touches him.” Said Alex, calmly.

“He does seem rather possessive.” Lando pointed out.

Alex scoffed.

“Yeah, he was standing outside when Charles went into the press conference so he must have gone with him and then waited for him. He does it nearly every time he’s at a race.” 

“Then again, Tiffany has been to nearly every race.” Mentioned Pierre.

“The difference is that Valtteri and Tiffany don’t have to hide their relationship. Charles has told people that Louis is part of his management team. There’s only a few people that know they are actually in a relationship.” Said Alex, quietly.

“Louis is everywhere and he doesn’t engage with anyone and if he does, it just ends up becoming an argument.” Said George.

Pierre frowned. George turned to Nicky who was sitting beside him on the bed.

“Tell Pierre what you saw in Monza.” 

“I was walking along the paddock on Saturday night after qualifying and I overheard shouting. It was coming near the Ferrari motorhome and I decided to see what was going on. I saw Louis arguing with Mattia and Gino, I didn’t hear all of the conversation but something was said about Louis not getting to go onto the track ahead of the race. He was angry, for sure, he ended up walking away from them.” Nicky explained.

Pierre swallowed thickly.

“Do you think they know about Charles and Louis?” 

“They might know something but I think people are going to start talking.” Said Lando, softly.

“What do you mean?” Questioned Pierre.

“If he’s following Charles everywhere, people are going to start asking questions. I’m kind of surprised no one has been talking about him waiting around on Charles all the time. From what I can see, he’s always in the Ferrari garage or the motorhome. He follows his boyfriend like a little lost puppy and he doesn’t bother to talk to anyone. He’s there for Charles and only him.” Replied Lando.

“He ignored me earlier in the paddock.” Said Alex, gently.

“He refused to go on a double date with me and Nicky. I asked him ages ago if they wanted to go out for dinner seeing as Louis was always around but Charles said no. I’ve got no idea if he was worried about Louis but to be honest, I’m kind of glad he said no. I have no idea how we would’ve managed dinner with Louis. He doesn’t talk to anyone.” Said George.

“Do you get on with him, Pierre?” Asked Nicky, curiously.

The drivers turned to look at Pierre. He cleared his throat. 

“Everything was fine to begin with. I had no issues with him when we first met. I have no idea what changed but something did. Louis never talks to me when we’re in the paddock and he always looks like he doesn’t want me there. I have no idea what his problem is. I thought something was off with Charles, I thought maybe it was because of the car. He doesn’t call as much as he used to and he really only talks to me without Louis being there. I’ve called him during the triple headers, asking if he wants to meet and his response is that he’s with Louis and he’s busy. He didn’t mention Louis at all in Portugal apart from when I asked where he was, he told me and that was it.” Said Pierre, honestly.

“He seemed more relaxed in Sochi, I wasn’t sure if that was because Louis wasn’t there.” Said Alex, softly.

“He looks as if he’s always watching his back, even when we’re waiting for the anthem on the grid. He seems nervous and fidgety.” Nicky revealed his thoughts.

“There’s only a few occasions where he isn’t with Louis and the guy has only missed one race.” Said George.

“Does Charles’ family get on with him?” Asked Alex.

No one really knew Charles’ family apart from Pierre because he had been friends with Charles for years. The other drivers knew Arthur better than Lorenzo because of the racing during lockdown. Louis was never a topic of conversation amongst the drivers. Alex had brought him up to Lando and George on separate occasions when he had seen Charles and Louis interact. 

“I’m not really sure to be honest, I haven’t spoken to Pascale in a while. I don’t know that Arthur likes him very much.” Said Pierre, quietly.

“I remember messaging Arthur ages ago and something came up about Louis. It might have been during lockdown because he said something like Charles would’ve been streaming more had it not been for Louis.” Alex remembered.

“What does that mean?” Asked Nicky.

“Probably that Louis wasn’t getting any attention and he wanted Charles to spend time with him, I’m not sure. Arthur did mention that Louis is a bit full on.” Said Alex, defeated.

“I’m surprised Arthur mentioned Louis, I mean, Charles rarely talks about him and they’re together.” Said Nicky, puzzled.

“Damn.” Said Lando, abruptly.

Some of the drivers jumped at the sudden exclamation and everyone had their attention on Lando who had his head in his hands.

“Lando, what’s wrong?” Asked Alex, in concern.

“I just remembered something that Max had said.” Replied Lando, hesitantly. 

“What has Max said?” Questioned Pierre, confused.

“Max knows about Charles and Louis.” Replied Lando.

The room fell silent as everyone stared at Lando. Charles hadn’t come out to the world which was why only a few people knew about not only Charles’ sexuality but also his relationship. Only Charles’ friends, including some of the drivers on the grid as well as family knew about Louis and the fact that Charles is bisexual. If Max knew, it meant that either he had worked it out for himself or someone had told him. Lando lifted his head from his hands and stared down at his lap as he avoided everyone’s gazes.

“How did he find out?” Asked Nicky.

They all knew that Charles and Max weren’t friends so Charles wouldn’t have told Max himself.

“Victoria knows Louis. When Alex messaged me, I remembered that I had been speaking to Max ahead of a race, I can’t remember which one but we were talking about Louis. Max spotted him watching Charles from the pit area whilst we were waiting on the national anthem. He had his eyes on Charles and only Charles. Max said he didn’t like the sound of Louis from what he had heard and mentioned that he should be careful. I asked him what he was talking about. Apparently, Victoria knows him and he’s had trouble with boyfriends before. He gets jealous easily and is very possessive. The worrying thing is that he can be abusive, not physically but verbally. Victoria must have mentioned something to Max or maybe he did. Anyway, I think it says something because Max is saying things and he isn’t friends with Charles.” Said Lando. 

No one knew what to say. It surely wouldn’t take long for journalists to work out the relationship between Charles and Louis no matter how much the couple were trying to hide. This revelation was very much a cause for concern but they didn’t know what to do. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I forgot and it was before a race.” Rambled Lando.

“It’s alright, Lando. Maybe Max has known for a while but at least he can see the warning signs. We have to do something. Charles hasn’t been himself for a while. Something is going on.” Said Alex, concernedly.

“What do you suppose we do exactly?” Asked Pierre.

“We need to talk to Charles about Louis, find out if there is anything going that we need to be concerned about.” Answered Alex.

Lando shook his head.

“He’ll just deny it and say everything is fine.” He pointed out.

“Maybe Pierre should talk to him, they are best friends after all.” Said Nicky.

Everyone turned to Pierre who looked nervous.

“I don’t know that it’s a good idea. I have no idea what to say and besides what if I look like a complete idiot and nothing is going on.” Mumbled Pierre.

Alex narrowed his eyes at the Frenchman.

“I’m sure there’s something going on, Pierre. Do you want your friend to get hurt?” 

Pierre didn’t answer and he almost shrunk back in his seat, feeling guilty for not noticing that something was going on between Charles and Louis. Had he been blind or had he been telling himself that Charles was bothered by the current season?

“We can talk to Seb.” Said George, suddenly.

Lando frowned.

“Why?”

“Seb is Charles’ teammate and they have to share the same motorhome which means he’s surely seen something going on. His room will probably be close to Charles’ room so he will be able to hear any arguing or that going on. If Pierre needs more evidence, there’s nothing better than talking to Charles’ teammate. Maybe Seb is concerned about Charles, you never know.” Said George.

“We should talk to Seb, he’s probably seen and heard more than we have.” Agreed Nicky.

Lando rolled his eyes.

“Trust you to agree with your boy.” He teased.

George blushed as Nicky moved closer so that their legs bumped together. The Canadian was sitting with his legs over the side of the bed whilst George was sitting crossed legged. Nicky smiled and stuck his tongue out at Lando.

“I think it’s a good idea. Pierre should talk to Seb.” Said Alex, agreeing with his best friend.

Pierre’s eyes widened.

“Why me? You’re all friends with Charles.”

“You’ve known him the longest. Plus, Seb is your hero so this is a good opportunity to talk to him.” Said Alex, cheekily.

Pierre rolled his eyes.

“In all seriousness though, how am I going to bring this up? I can’t just wander into the Ferrari motorhome, there are restrictions.” 

The drivers thought for a moment knowing that Pierre was right. Things were different in the paddock now because of Covid so it wasn’t easy for the drivers to interact with others. 

“Maybe you can speak to him in the hotel, it doesn't have to be in the paddock.” Offered Lando.

“It’s probably a better idea to do it as far away from the paddock as possible, you don’t want Charles overhearing anything.” Said George.

Pierre nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do and I’ll get back to you all.” He said, softly.

The drivers decided to head back to their rooms before someone caught them and they had to try and explain themselves. Nicky didn’t move as he turned to look at George who was getting up from the bed.

“What are you thinking about?” Nicky asked him curiously.

George sighed.

“I really hope that nothing bad is going on but I’ve got a feeling that Alex is right.” He admitted.

Nicky stood up and moved closer to George, rubbing his hands up and down his boyfriend’s hips.

“He’ll be alright, whatever is going on, we’ll find out and sort it.” Soothed Nicky.

George nodded and rested his hands on Nicky’s shoulders as he gazed into his eyes.

“I love you, you know that don’t you?” Asked Nicky.

George huffed.

“Of course I do.”

The Canadian smiled softly at his boyfriend.

“I love you too.” Murmured George.

Nicky closed the gap between them and pulled George in for a kiss. They kissed slowly, savouring the moment. They both smiled at each other when they pulled apart. Nicky patted George on his hip as he moved away from his boyfriend.

“I better go before Fergus asks me more questions.” Said Nicky regretfully.

George laughed.

“Yeah, good luck explaining to Fergus where you’ve been.” He teased.

Nicky rolled his eyes as he leaned in to kiss George on his cheek.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He murmured.

George smiled and nodded at him. He watched as Nicky left the room. When he was alone, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something seriously wrong in Charles and Louis’ relationship. He felt bad that some of them were intruding but if it meant that Charles was safe, he could get over the guilt of feeling like he was being judgmental. Hopefully, Seb could give them some answers and they could find out if there is something more to the relationship than meets the eye. 

Maybe they were wrong to think that Louis was hurting Charles because they had no idea what was going on behind closed doors. Something was going on and things didn’t look great.


	2. Talking and Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierre talks to Seb whilst George stumbles upon a moment between Charles and Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is chapter two whereby Pierre talks to Seb whilst George stumbles upon a moment between Louis and Charles. There is just one more chapter to follow with a hopeful ending. Hope you all enjoy!

Pierre found it really difficult to build up the confidence to talk to Seb. He couldn’t talk to him in the paddock in case Charles or Louis overheard. There was a part of him that wanted to talk to Charles privately but that was practically impossible because Louis was with him all the time. Lando had also pointed out that Charles would deny that there was anything going on which was why a decision had been made to speak to Seb. 

The Frenchman managed to catch up with Seb in the paddock on Friday night after the driver’s briefing. He had caught sight of Lando and George who tilted their heads in Seb’s direction as a hint to go and talk to him. He sighed and walked towards Seb as they made their way down the paddock.

“Can I talk to you later? It’s really important.” He asked.

Seb frowned.

“It can’t be done here?” 

Pierre looked around for a moment and thankfully, no other driver or team member were in sight.

“No, in case someone overhears.” Said Pierre, seriously.

Seb nodded.

“We can meet at the hotel, I’ll message you my room number.”

Pierre nearly sighed with relief.

“Thanks, Seb. I’ll meet you around 8.”

Seb nodded in agreement before he stopped and fist bumped the young Frenchman as he was about to make his way into the Ferrari motorhome. Pierre quickly made his way back to Alpha Tauri as he knew he needed to get on before he met Seb.

For the second night in a row, Pierre found himself making excuses to Pyry about why he needed to leave the room. He didn’t mention names but his coach just sighed and insisted that he couldn’t take too long because he had qualifying on the next day. 

Pierre made his way to Seb’s room, keeping an eye out for people in case anyone saw him. Thankfully, the corridors were pretty quiet. He stopped outside the room that Seb had told him was his. He knocked and waited patiently for the German to come to the door. Eventually, the door opened and Seb smiled tiredly at him. Pierre felt bad for coming to see Seb when he was under so much pressure to do well in the car but he knew he couldn’t back down now. 

“Hey, I’m really sorry for this but it can’t wait.” Apologised Pierre.

Seb frowned but said nothing as he stepped back to let Pierre come into his room. The Frenchman gratefully walked past Seb and entered the room. He sat down in the chair that was in the corner of the room whilst Seb was sitting on his bed.

“What is it that we need to talk about that you refused to do it in the paddock?” Asked Seb, suspiciously.

Pierre sighed as his palms began to sweat. He rubbed them over his knees nervously as he looked up at Seb.

“I wanted to talk about Charles.” He said.

Seb’s eyes widened.

“He’s my teammate.” He stated.

Pierre nearly rolled his eyes. 

“Yes and he’s my best friend.”

Seb folded his arms across his chest.

“You didn’t just come here to tell me that.” 

Pierre shook his head.

“I’m worried about him and I’m not the only one.” He admitted to the German.

Seb raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you worried about him?” He asked, curiously.

“It’s his relationship with Louis. We think there’s something going on.” Said Pierre, quietly.

“Whose we?” Asked Seb.

“George, Lando and Alex.” 

Seb nodded his head. The younger drivers were all close and they had known each other for years besides the fact that they had been racing against each other during lockdown. 

“The boys are worried that all is not well with Louis. He seems really possessive and he follows Charles around everywhere. He doesn’t really engage with anyone either. Charles flinches when Louis touches him too.” Pierre informed Seb.

“Pierre, why are you telling me this?” Questioned Seb.

The Frenchman leaned forward in his chair.

“The boys want to know if you’ve heard anything or seen anything going on between Charles and Louis. You’re his teammate and your driver’s room is right next to his.” 

Seb unfolded his arms as he rested his hands on the bed as he looked at Pierre.

“I have to admit I’ve noticed a lot of arguing coming from Charles’ room. It’s definitely not Charles and Andrea arguing because Louis doesn’t speak Italian and the arguing is in French. Louis is definitely possessive. Maybe, he’s had bad experiences in the past with relationships but I know how it looks. They don’t want people to know but then Louis is everywhere, he follows us to the press conferences. He is literally everywhere. I feel like Charles is more relaxed when he isn’t there but there’s only been one race this season where I noticed that Louis wasn’t there.” Said Seb.

“Louis wasn’t there in Sochi and I noticed it too. He rarely ever talks about Louis. When I was with Cate, I asked on a couple of occasions whether they wanted to come on a double date. The answer was always no but I have no idea if that was down to Louis or if Charles wants to stay away from him. Louis doesn’t interact with anyone. He just stands there awkwardly and half the time, he tries to pull Charles away.” Replied Pierre.

Seb sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Have you spoken to Charles?” He asked.

Pierre shook his head.

“No. Nobody has because we wanted evidence that something was going on which is the main reason I’m here.” He responded.

Seb nodded in understanding.

“Perhaps you should speak to him and if he tries to deny anything, it’s either because he’s telling the truth or he’s trying to protect Louis.” He said.

Pierre looked down at the floor.

“I hope he’s alright.” He said, quietly.

“He will be, he has his friends looking out for him. Talk to him, Pierre.” Said Seb, softly.

Pierre looked back up at the German and offered him a small smile.

“Thanks, Seb.”

The German nodded and stood up.

“I don’t really want to kick you out but I don’t think it would be advisable to have a late night given that qualifying is tomorrow.” He said, seriously.

Pierre let out a small laugh and moved towards the door with Seb following behind him.

“I’ll let you know if anything is happening. Charles is your teammate and I know you care about him.” 

“Thanks, Pierre and I hope that there is nothing going on but we’ll probably have to wait and see.” 

Pierre looked at him for a moment before he let Seb open the door and he said goodbye before he made his way back to his own room.

He didn’t have much of a chance in speaking to Charles because he wanted to do it in private and there was the fact that they had an upcoming race to focus on. He managed to catch him in the media pen after the race but both their press officers were there.

“Hey, are you alright?” Asked Pierre.

Charles frowned.

“Yes.”

They stood in silence for a moment as they waited for journalists to be free so they could speak to them. 

“How are things with Louis?” He asked, curiously.

Charles looked down at the ground.

“Fine.” He replied, bluntly.

Pierre sighed as Charles was led away to talk to a journalist. He didn’t like the answer but he couldn’t do anything. 

He sent a message to Alex once the team’s post race debrief was over to let him know that he had spoken to Seb and that he had spoken to Charles in the media pen. Alex thanked him and suggested that they wait to talk to Charles or make an agreement with the boys as to when and who should speak to Charles. Pierre sighed as he put his phone in his pocket as he packed up his things in order to head to the hotel.

As it turned out, the boys didn’t have to wait long for something to happen. At the next race in Imola, the boys kept a close eye on Charles and Louis but they avoided actually talking about Louis to the young driver. 

George was walking along the paddock later on in the night as he was on his way out to head to the airport. He was about to pass the Ferrari motorhome when he heard shouting. He frowned and turned to see what was going on. It wasn’t until he moved closer that he noticed it was Charles and Louis who were arguing. Louis was the one who was arguing mostly. He had Charles up against the motorhome and he was practically screaming at him. George couldn’t understand what was being said because Louis wasn’t shouting in English but he could tell that the other man was angry. The thing that bothered him the most was the fact that Charles was trying to move away from his boyfriend but the young man wouldn’t let him. He knew he needed to do something as he didn’t want his friend to get hurt.

“Hey!” He called out.

He moved closer towards the couple. It meant that Louis diverted his attention from Charles onto him and by the look on his face, he didn’t know if that was a good thing. Louis was furious at the interruption.

“What is your problem?” He asked, angrily.

George huffed out a breath. 

"You're screaming right in my friend's face, that's my problem! What do you think you're doing?" He questioned, impatiently. 

"It's none of your business, my relationship with Charles is none of your concern." Stated Louis. 

George frowned at him. 

"It is my concern when you're screaming at my friend." He said, as if it were obvious. 

Louis scoffed. 

"I know your relationship is all well and good but it doesn't give you an excuse to go and but into other people's relationships." He snarled. 

George stepped closer. 

"Leave Nicky out of this." He warned. 

"Then leave us alone." Demanded Louis. 

"I can't do that." Insisted George. 

Without any warning, Louis grabbed George's fleece and slammed him against the wall of the motor home. George winced as his back hit the wall. Louis tightened his grip on George's fleece as he leaned in. 

"You boys just don't know when to stop. No one will leave us alone, why can't you just leave us?" Snarled Louis. 

George tried to move away but Louis had a firm grip on his fleece. 

"Just because your relationship is perfect and everyone else is happy, it doesn't mean you have to stick your nose in." Insisted Louis. 

"We're concerned about Charles, that's it." Insisted George.

"No, you just want to cause trouble."

George winced again when Louis slammed him against the wall once more. 

"You better stay away or so help me, I won't hesitate to hurt you more than I'm doing now." Threatened Louis. 

He moved his hand to fist the collar of George's fleece. George gasped as Louis continued to tighten his grip. 

"You have no idea what I'm capable of." Warned Louis. 

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice called out, angrily. 

Louis paled as he turned around to see Nicky, Alex and Pierre watching him, shocked. 

"Get away from him." Demanded Nicky. 

He quickly moved to pull Louis away from his boyfriend as George clutched Nicky’s arm whilst his other arm clutched at his neck. 

"Are you alright?" Nicky asked, concerned. 

He pulled George into his side as far away from Louis as he could whilst his boyfriend nodded, coughing slightly. 

Alex and Pierre glared at Louis. 

"What is going on?" Questioned Alex. 

"Nothing." Replied Louis, nervously. 

Pierre scoffed. 

"It didn't look like nothing." He stated. 

Louis opened his mouth to reply but George interrupted him. 

"I found him screaming at Charles. I didn't want Louis to hurt Charles so I went to see what was going on and he slammed me into the wall. He threatened me." Said George, quietly. 

Louis was looking around nervously as if he was looking for an escape. Pierre frowned as he looked around the paddock. 

"Where is Charles?" He asked. 

The boys began to look around the paddock but the young Ferrari driver was nowhere to be seen.


	3. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierre and Alex are on the hunt to find Charles to discover the truth about his relationship with Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Here is the final chapter to my story where Alex and Pierre attempt to find Charles in order to find out the truth about his relationship with Louis after the events that occurred at the end of Chapter 2. I apologise for the ending in terms of the fact that I didn't really feature Louis but the focus was more on Charles. This is all still set in Imola but the ending is more set post Imola. I hope you all enjoy and please leave comments and prompts!

The four drivers were at a loss on what to do. It was clear that Charles wasn’t nearby and as much as his friends wanted to find him, they didn’t want to leave Louis in case he ran off. 

“What do we do?” Asked Pierre.

Alex sighed and shrugged helplessly. George cleared his throat.

“Why don’t you guys go and see if you can find Charles?” George suggested. 

Alex frowned.

“I don’t really think we should leave you with Louis after what’s just happened.” Said Alex.

“We can make sure he stays in the Ferrari motorhome whilst you look for Charles unless he’s there already.” Said Nicky.

He glared at Louis who refused to meet his gaze as he stared down at the ground. Pierre nodded and Alex sighed as he followed the Frenchman so they could try and find their friend. 

They decided to look around every team motorhome before looking in the garages. There was no sign of the young Monegasque and just as Alex and Pierre were beginning to wonder about whether they should start asking around, Alex’s phone began to ring. It was George.

“Hey, what’s up?” Asked Alex.

“We took Louis into the Ferrari motorhome and bumped into Andrea. He’s going to keep an eye on him since we explained the situation. Turns out, Andrea doesn’t like Louis so he’s going to put in a complaint to Mattia but it depends on what Charles wants to do. Nicky and I have just left the motorhome so I thought I would call you.” Explained George.

“Thank you, I take it that Charles isn’t in the motorhome?” Asked Alex, hoping there was a chance he could be there. 

“No and Andrea hasn’t seen him. Have you had any luck?” Questioned George.

“We’ve looked around all the motorhomes and there’s no sign of him. We’re going to look around the garages but if we still can’t find him, we might have to start asking people if they’ve seen him.” Said Alex, sadly.

“I doubt he’s left the paddock. You’ll find him, don’t worry.” Insisted George.

Alex sighed as he looked over at Pierre who was standing waiting for him to finish the call. 

“You should go to the airport with Nicky.” Said Alex.

He could sense his friend frowning on the other end of the phone.

“Are you sure?” He asked, hesitantly.

“Yes, I know you and Nicky were planning on spending time with your parents. My flight is in the morning plus there’s enough people here to help find Charles. It will be fine. You’ve had a long day.” Insisted Alex.

“Only if you’re sure.” Replied George, softly.

Alex shook his head fondly.

“I’m sure. I’ll keep you updated.” Stated Alex.

They exchanged goodbyes before Alex ended the call. He looked slightly guilty as he turned back to look at Pierre.

“I’m sorry I know they should probably be helping to look for Charles but they have a flight and George has had a bad enough day as it is.” He apologised.

Pierre waved a hand.

“It’s fine and you’re right, if need be, there will be plenty of people who can help find Charles if we run out of places to look.” He said.

The two drivers decided to head to the pitlane to look around the garages. It became clear that most of the teams were busy packing up and there were a lot of people around. Both Pierre and Alex were hesitant to ask people if they had seen Charles as everyone looked so busy. It wasn’t until they were standing outside the Ferrari garage that Pierre looked at the pit wall. Looking out onto the track beside the Ferrari pit wall was Charles. Pierre breathed a sigh of relief as he gently nudged Alex. The young driver nodded and sighed when Pierre pointed towards Charles. They made their way over to their friend and stopped as they faced his back.

“So this is where you’re hiding.” Said Pierre.

Charles turned around slowly and he looked between his two friends. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled.

“What are you doing here?” Asked Pierre.

Charles shrugged and turned back to look at the track. Alex and Pierre shared a look before Alex cleared his throat.

“Charles, we need to talk.” He insisted.

The young Monegasque looked reluctant to move as he turned to look at the Red Bull driver. Alex and Pierre looked determined but Charles remained silent.

“How about we go back to the hotel to talk? I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk here.” Suggested Alex.

Charles nodded and moved away from the pit wall towards his friends. Pierre stopped after a moment.

“Do we need to let anyone know that we’re going?” He asked.

The question was more directed at Charles because his coach hadn’t heard from him in a while as George had told Alex on the phone. 

“I was meant to be going back to the hotel but Louis wanted to go home and we started arguing.” Murmured Charles.

Pierre and Alex shared another look.

“How about we head to the hotel and you can message Andrea to let him know that you’re alright?” Asked Pierre, gently.

Charles nodded reluctantly and they all headed out of the paddock. They all drove back to the hotel in separate cars. Pierre and Charles made it to the hotel first and they waited outside for Alex to show up. When he did arrive, the young driver suggested heading to his room so they could talk in private. He slumped down on his bed whilst Pierre sat on the other beside and Charles nervously sat down next to the Frenchman. There was silence for a moment as no one knew what to say. Alex took his mask off and the two other drivers reluctantly followed suit even though they knew they should really keep them on. Eventually, Alex broke the silence as he sat up to face Charles.

“What was the argument about, Charles? You said you were meant to be heading back here.” 

Charles sighed.

“Louis and I had planned to fly back to Monaco on Monday, so tomorrow. I was meant to be having a training day with Andrea then the plan was to fly home later on in the day. Louis wanted to go home after the race but I said no. He got angry and he started shouting at me calling me a spoiled little kid. I rarely ever say no to him, he’s been really insistent recently but I didn’t want to pay for another flight, the flight with Vistajet is booked to take us home tomorrow. I’ve been using them because of the pandemic so we don’t have to fly with other people. I told him that we couldn’t hire anything at such short notice. Louis was angry and he wouldn’t calm down. He backed me into the wall of the motorhome. I thought he was going to hit me.” Charles told his friends, honestly.

“Has Louis ever hurt you?” Pierre dreaded the answer.

Charles looked at his best friend with wide eyes.

“No, never!” He shrieked.

Alex ran a hand through his hair.

“It might be the case that Louis has never hurt you physically, Charles, but there is verbal and mental abuse.” He pointed out.

Charles swallowed thickly as he stared down at the floor.

“Louis threatened George.” Said Alex, seriously.

Charles looked across at him and instantly felt sick that his boyfriend could threaten one of his friends.

“I don’t know what you saw or heard but he threatened George and I think it was possibly because George was trying to protect you.” Said Alex.

Charles swallowed thickly.

“He was only trying to help.” He murmured.

Tears gathered in his eyes and he ran a hand through his hair. 

“Charles, are you happy with Louis?” Asked Alex, nervously.

The young Monegasque bit his lip and stayed quiet. Alex looked at Pierre before he turned back towards Charles. 

“A few of us have noticed some things, Charles. I saw in Portugal that you flinched when he touched you and you never talk about when we ask you questions. The only time I’ve seen you relaxed recently was in Sochi and maybe it was because Louis wasn’t there. He doesn’t engage with any of us, Charles. I know he doesn’t have to get along with everyone but we can’t even have a five minute conversation with you in the paddock without him dragging you away.” Stated Alex. 

Charles slowly looked up at Alex and a tear fell down his face. He wiped a hand over his eyes as he sniffed.

“Things haven’t been great since the season started back.” He admitted.

“In what way?” Questioned Pierre, curiously.

“We spent all of lockdown together and then I had to go back to racing. He insisted on coming to all the races. I think he was jealous of the twitch streams. The amount of times I’ve said no to people in case he got angry. He shouts at me when I don’t do what he asks and I feel so small and weak. I should be able to say no but I can’t. I wish he could get on with everybody but he’s had some bad experiences with past relationships. He’s been forced to pick between friends and partners or he’s felt abandoned by previous boyfriends. I’ve told him before that we can get through this, that I won’t abandon him but he is so unpredictable. That’s why I started arguing with him today. I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s been building up. He wanted to change plans that I’ve had in place for weeks and he wouldn’t back down.” Said Charles, tearfully.

Pierre and Alex felt sorry for their friend but at least the truth was coming out. Alex had been right. Charles wasn’t happy. 

“It never used to be like this. We were really happy together when we started dating it all changed after lockdown. The jealousy started and then the possessiveness. I thought maybe he would change but I don’t know what to do. I thought he was going to hit me earlier. Finding out he threatened George, I can’t believe he would do that to my friends. I thought I knew him but I don’t know what to think anymore.” Said Charles, softly.

He sniffed and used the sleeve of his Ferrari fleece to wipe his eyes. He relaxed as he felt Pierre rub a hand over his back.

“Charles, if you aren’t happy, you shouldn’t be with Louis. It sounds like he’s had a bad time with past experiences but he can’t take it out on you and what would happen if he did hit you? What if he stops you from seeing family? There are a lot of things you need to consider. Some of us don’t like him but your decision shouldn’t be based on that. The main thing is, if you love him and if you feel safe with him, then there is nothing to worry about. If you don’t feel safe with him or if you don’t love him then you need to consider whether this relationship will last.” Stated Alex.

Charles sighed.

“I’ve been wondering for a while now what the future holds for us.” He said, truthfully.

“Do you see yourself with Louis in the future?” Asked Pierre.

Charles shook his head, sadly.

“No.” He whispered.

Pierre wrapped his arm around Charles’ waist and let his friend’s head fall on his shoulder. Alex watched his friend. He couldn’t tell Charles to leave Louis, the decision was down to him but he could only hope that his friend would at least think about his relationship.

“Did you get in touch with Andrea?” Asked Alex.

Charles lifted his head from Pierre’s shoulder as he looked across at Alex.

“I messaged him to say that I was going back to the hotel with you and Pierre then he called me. He said he was going to keep Louis in the motorhome but he doesn’t know whether to let him come here or what to do.” He said, quietly.

“Did you suggest anything?” Questioned Pierre.

Charles sighed.

“I told him that things weren’t looking great and I asked if I could share his room with him. He said yes then mentioned that he would call me when he was in the hotel so I could get my things and take them to his room. I think he said he might buy Louis a plane ticket if it means he’ll leave me alone.” He said, softly.

The three drivers sat in silence for a moment and Charles let out a yawn. 

“What are you going to do about Louis, Charles?” Asked Alex.

The young driver huffed.

“I don’t really have much choice, anytime I try and talk to him, he won’t take no for an answer. I don’t think our relationship will last to be honest.” He said, honestly.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen him angry but then Seb said that he’s heard arguing.” Said Pierre.

Charles looked at him with wide eyes.

“You’ve spoken to Seb?” He asked in disbelief.

Pierre looked at Alex who sighed.

“A few of us met in Portugal. George, Lando, Pierre and myself after Pierre caught George and me talking about you in the paddock. We’ve all been worried about you and your relationship with Louis so it was suggested that someone speak to Seb because he’s your teammate. I’m sorry if it appears we’ve been nosy but we’ve been doing it out of concern and I don’t think Louis took it too kindly.” Said Alex.

“Is George alright?” Asked Charles in concern.

He only just realised that he hadn’t asked how his friend was as he was still shocked that Louis would actually threaten someone. He had ran off the minute Louis had his back turned and was too focused on George. It made Charles feel guilty. 

“He’ll be fine and anyway, Pierre and I found Louis holding George against the wall. It gives us evidence that he really is unpredictable.” Said Alex.

Charles tiredly ran a hand over his eyes as he yawned again.

“Thank you for keeping an eye on me, I’m sorry for not telling you about Louis. I just wanted to believe that he would change.” He apologised.

Pierre and Alex shook his heads.

“The important thing is that you’re alright.” Insisted Alex.

Charles nodded.

“I will be but I think I need to talk to Louis. As much as I don’t want to, I really don’t think our relationship is going to last long.” He said, reluctantly.

He pushed himself off the bed and looked between the two drivers. 

“I’m going to head to my room to collect my things, hopefully Andrea will be on his way.” He said, tiredly.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Asked Pierre, concerned.

Charles smiled softly.

“I’ll be fine, thank you.” He said, gratefully.

He hugged his best friend who was now standing and he also hugged Alex as the Red Bull driver patted his back. Eventually, Charles pulled away and put his mask back on as he headed towards the door. Pierre sighed as he turned back to face Alex.

“Do you really think he’ll break up with Louis?” He asked, curiously.

Alex let out a long breath.

“I have no idea. I hope so just because he doesn’t seem happy and he thought that Louis was going to hurt him. He sounds like he’s had enough of his behaviour so maybe.” 

They knew it was going to be a waiting game and they could only hope that Charles would really consider if his relationship with Louis would survive. Alex messaged George to let him know that he had spoken to Charles with Pierre but they would have to wait to see if Charles would stay with Louis.

As it turned out, Charles did break up with Louis. The young Monegasque had returned to his room after he left his two friends and immediately ran into Louis and Andrea. He had a long conversation with his boyfriend and whilst Louis was apologetic about what had happened, Charles was adamant that he didn’t want to end up getting hurt. Louis begged him to reconsider but Charles was honest and told him that he didn’t know if their relationship could survive going forwards into the future. 

Initially, Louis refused to take no for an answer as he turned up at Charles’ apartment a couple of days after the race. Eventually, he saw sense when Charles had more words with him and he apologised for his actions before he regretfully left Charles behind as he had now come to realise that they were no longer together. 

Charles called his friends and told them that he was no longer with Louis and he thanked each of them for their support. They were grateful and happy that Charles seemed more relaxed. He deserved to find happiness but he had to find the right man. 

Charles’ relationship hadn’t worked out well with Louis but he could only hope that at some stage in the future, someone would come along and love him, make him feel safe and support him.

As long as he had his friends supporting him, he was happy. He was so grateful to have friends like Pierre, Lando, George and Alex.


End file.
